Thornton Abell: 1967 Rich House

Tucked away from the street, Thornton Abell‚Äôs 1967 Rich House emphasizes outdoor living spaces including an amphitheater, outdoor living room, pool and courtyard. Steel magnate Gustav Rich, and his wife Miriam, commissioned Abell to create a house using materials from Mr. Rich‚Äôs steel company. The three-bedroom, three-bathroom house is geometrically composed of horizontal volumes made from steel frame with stucco, glass and fiberglass walls, walnut wood panels and marble floors in the interior of the house.

Restoration of the house included installation of solar panels, low voltage systems, and radiant heat. Utilizing the house‚Äôs original blueprints, Michael re-furbished custom-built fiberglass panels in the interior of the house, and mahogany plywood treated with a stain specific to Abell‚Äôs notes. Michael also undertook the registering of the Rich house under the Mills Act as a Historic-Cultural Monument.